MomsRising Leader Urges Senate to Refuse to Confirm Jeff Sessions to Serve as Attorney General

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families:

“Today the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearing on Senator Jeff Sessions, a nominee whose record clearly indicates that he is absolutely not qualified to serve as United States Attorney General. Senator Sessions’ record on voting rights, anti-discrimination protections, policing practices, government surveillance, immigrants’ rights and more demonstrates that he is far outside the mainstream and in no way qualified to head the federal agency charged with protecting and advancing justice in this country.

“Senator Sessions’ record on basic civil rights is deeply disturbing. He has repeatedly opposed legislation that would make our nation more fair and just, including the Voting Rights Act, the Violence Against Women Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He defended discrimination on the basis of religion by supporting a ban on Muslims entering the United States. He has embraced policies that oppose birthright citizenship and legal immigration. This fall, he called it ‘a stretch’ to say that grabbing women by their genitals, without consent, was sexual assault.

“MomsRising members across the country oppose this nomination and they are urging their senators to refuse to confirm Sessions. We need a champion for justice to serve as the nation’s attorney general, not a nominee whose record and rhetoric have long promoted hatred and division. This is a moment when all Americans, and the lawmakers who represent us, need to show our children that we will stand up for the rights of everyone to live, work, love and thrive. Doing that means opposing this nominee, whose appointment would tear at the very fabric of our democracy. We urge every member of the Judiciary Committee and every senator to reject the Sessions nomination.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes so many others. MomsRising also advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising also maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.